Bahrain summit to discuss multilateral trading

Manama, March 25, 2014

Leading trade policy experts, academics and decision makers will be in Bahrain to discuss recent trends and challenges in the world trade and economic landscape at a major summit next month.

The high-level conference is being convened by International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) and will be held from April 6 to 8 at the Middle East headquarters of the institute in Bahrain, reported the Gulf Daily News, our sister publication.

The speakers at the event include Bahrain Transportation Minister Kamal Ahmed, World Trade Organisation former directors-general Pascal Lamy and Dr Supachai Panitchpakdi, Korea's former minister for trade Dr Taeho Bark, King Faisal Centre for Research and Islamic Studies director of partnership and external relations Prince Khalid bin Saud Al Faisal, Geneva's Graduate Institute professor of international economics Richard Baldwin, Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs' Jagdish Bhagwati, Professor of Indian political economy Arvind Panagariya and Singapore's Temasek Foundation Centre for Trade and Negotiations head Dr Deborah Elms.

The conference is being held under the theme 'Trade and Flag: The Changing Balance of Power in the Multilateral Trading System.'

"The IISS Geo-economics and Strategy conferences at the IISS-Middle East Centre in Manama have been attracting world and industry leaders and scholars with an interest in business, economics and international affairs to Bahrain," stated IISS director for geo-economics and strategy Dr Sanjaya Baru.

"Participants at the sixth conference will focus on the highly topical subject of the future of multilateral trading system and the challenge posed by regional trading blocs," he added.

The conference, organised by the IISS Geo-economics and Strategy Research Programme, which studies shifting economic power and geopolitics, is the sixth in a series which have brought world-class experts, statesmen and business leaders to Bahrain.-TradeArabia News Service